Road-grading machine



Sept. 9, 1930. o. P. MAHONEY ET AL 1,

ROAD GRADING MACHINE Filed Feb. 3. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 9, 1930.0 MAHQNEY ET AL 1,775,314

ROAD GRADING MACHINE Filed Feb. 5, 1928 2 Sheets-Shegt 2 OW/LAEPM/M/YEYJOHN MEY PatentcdSept-9,l930

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE onvmn r. mom, or 101mm, m rent 3. m, orcurmen,mssom 'nomamnre mcmm:

Application nu February a, 1928. Serial no. 251,679.

This invention relates to road grading or scraping machines.

An important object of the invention is to provide a novel scrapingmachine which'is adapted to be attached to a tractor to be' drawnthereby without material alteration of the tractor.

A further object is to provide a device of the character referred towhich is adapted to be attached to a tractor in such a manner as toeliminate the necessity for provid ng supporting wheels for the device,and which is adapted to track behind the tractor without any lateralmovement.

A further object is to provide a device of the above mentioned characteremploying a scraper blade adapted to engage the road surface'and havingmeans associated therewith to permit any predetermined pressure to beappliedthereto.

A further object is to provide a structure of such character that theblade is main-- tained in engagement with the road surface at all times,but which is adapted to swing upwardly to pass over surface inequalitiesin the road to prevent injury to the blade or associated parts.

A further object is to provide a device of the character referred towherein the blade is adapted to he longitudinally and laterally adjustedwith respect to its supporting frame vention will become apparent duringthe Figure 3 is a detail view of the operating mechanism for the rockerarms,

Figure 4 is a detail perspective view of the evice and its connectionswith the tractor, and,

Figure 5 is a detail section on line 5-5 of Figure 2. I

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 10 designates a tractor as awhole, illustrated in the present instance as being of the conventionalfour wheel type, but it will be come apparent that the device may beattached many other form of tractor such as the crawler tread type. Thetractor includes a motor 11, radiator 12, and fuel tank 13, and ismounted upon front and rear supporting wheels 14. and 15 respectively.The usual difierential housing 16 is arranged at the rear of the vehicleand is provided with oppositely extending housings 17 in which arearranged driving axles 1 Supporting blocks 20 are arranged over the endportions of the housings 17, and lower relatively heavy caps 21 arearranged against the bottom portions of the housings and are secured tothe blocks 20 by bolts 22.

extending cars 24 for a purpose to be described.

A rigid frame indicated as a whole by the numeral 25 is arrangedrearwardly of the tractor as shown in Figures 1 and 4. This frameincludes side frame members 26, preferably formed of inverted T-rails.The frame is pivotally' connected at its forward end to the ears 24 asat 26. The rails are connected at their opposite ends by cross members27, and are further braced by angular braces 28 which may be securedtogether at their centers by a plate 29. It will be apparent that theframe 25 is rigid, and is not subject to any distortion in a horizontal95.

frame member. A bolt or pin 32 is carried by each guide 31 and isadapted to be selectively received in openings 33 formed in the base ofthe associated side frame member to permit the supports to be adjustedlongi- I scraper includes an upper arcuate plate 36,

the upper edge of which is arranged rearwardly of lugs 37 dependingfrom. the forward portions of the guides 31. It will be noted that thecurvature of the forward edges of the sup orts 30 substantiallycorresponds to that of t e plate 36, whereby the scraper is preventedfrom swinging forwardly or rearwardly at its upper or lower edges. Ascraper blade 38 is secured to the lower edge of the plate 36 by bolts39 which also extend through an angle iron 40. The bolts are adapted tobe removed to permit replacement of the blade 38. Angle brackets 41 aresecured to the angle plate 40 and the upstanding portions of thesebrackets receive a rod 42 which extends through the slots 34 ofth'supports 30. The rod 42 is threaded at its ends for reception 1n nuts43 which are adapted to engage against the brackets 41. Brackets 43 maybe mounted upon the angle iron 40 to support the rod 42 between thesupports 30. It will be apparent that the brackets 41 are arranged asubstantial distance outwardly of the supports 30, whereby the scraperis adapted to be adjusted transversely of the apparatus in a manner tobe described.

A rack bar 44 is carried by the plate 36 and is adapted to mesh with aworm 45 journalled I III a housing 46.- This housing is provided withedge portions 47 slidably engaging the rack bar as shown in Figure 5. Areach rod 46 is connected at opposite ends respectively to the housing46 and one of the supports 30 to prevent movement of the housing andworm longitudinally with respect to the scraper blade. One end of theshaft of the worm 45 is provided with an eye 48 adapted to be engaged bya similar eye 49 carried by a shaft 50. The connection between the eyes48 and 49 forms auniversal joint to permit the shaft 50 to be arrangedat an angle. This shaft extends through one of the sup ports 30 and isprovided at its outer end with a suitable operating crank 51.

A bracket 52 is mounted on the rear end of each of the side rails 23 andis provided at its upper end with a shaft 54 rotatably supporting arocker arm 55. Each rocker arm is provided at its forward end with asegment gear 56 meshing with a worm 57 carried by a shaft 58. This shaftcarries a bevel gear 59 at its lower end meshing with a similar gear 60carried by a shaft 61. A supportmg bracket 62 is mounted on the upperend of each side rail 23 and rotatably sup orts the shaft 61. Thebrackets 62 extend a ove the shaft 61 and are provided with lateral ex-vtensions 63 forming bearings for the shafts 58. The inner end of eachshaft'58 is provided with a hand wheel64' to permit the shaft to beoperated.

A vertical rod 65 is pivotally connected to each of the side framemembers 26 as at 66 and extends upwardly through an opening formed inthe rear end of the associated rocker arm 55. The rods 65 preferably fitloosely in their openings in the rocker arms to permit them to assumedifferent angular positions with respect to the latter. The rods 65 arecapped at their upper ends as at 67 and are provided with a series ofopenings 68 adapted to receive pins 69 which engage the upper faces ofthe rearv ends of the rocker arms 55 to limit the upward movement of thelatter with respect to the rods 65. Relatively heavy coilsprings 70surround the rods 65 between the rocker arms 55 and the side framemembers 26. t

The operation of the device is as follows: The forward end of the frame25 is wholly supported by the rear end of the tractor, and

the frame possesses a high degree ofhorizontal rigidity. The frame ofthe tractor also is rigid, and since the frame 25 is connected to thetractor at opposite sides by the pivot pins 26, it will be apparent thatside sway of the rear end of the frame 25 and the scraper will beeffectively prevented. The pressure of the scraper blade 38 upon theroad surface readily may be adjusted by varying the tension of thesprings 70. This readily may be accomplished by turning the hand wheels64 to rotate the shafts 61 and 58, and rotation of the latter shaftswill be transmitted to the rocker arms 55 through the worms 57 andsegment gears 56. Thus the rear ends of the rocker arms may be moveddownwardly to increase the tension of the springs 7 0 and thus cause thescraper blade more firmly to engage the surface of the road. If it isdesired to create a greater scraper blade pressure at one side of theroad, or at one end of the blade, one of the hand wheels 64 may beturned to a greater extent than the other.

The pins 69 are inserted in the openings 68 of the rods 65 just abovethe tops of the rocker arms 55. As the scraper travels over the road, itoperates in the usual manner, and the inequalities in\ the road, if toohard to be scraped smooth, will cause the scraper and frame 25 to bemoved u wardl against the tension of the springs 0. O viously, therocker arms cannot swing about their pivots because of the engagementbetween the segment gears 56 and worms 57. When it is desired to elevatethe scraper, the hand wheels 64 may be rotated to swing the rear ends ofthe rocker arms'upwardly, and the latter will engage the pins 69 to 11ftthe rods 65, and

consequently elevate the frame and the the other guide. Obviously thesupports 30,

under such conditions, will retain their relative positions with respectto the side frame members 26, but the scraper blade and associatedelements may change their angular po sitions because of the arrangementof the rod 42 in the elongated openings 34. While the rod 42 is adaptedto change its angular position horizontally, it acts as the supportingmeans for the scraper blade. Transverse adjustment of the scraper blademay be accomplished by rotating the crank 51. This action rotates theworm 45 and-sincethiselement meshes with the rack 44, the scraper bladeand associated elements will be moved transversely with respect to theframe 25.,

The transverse sliding action of the scraper elements is permitted byvirtue of the slidable arrangement of the rod 42 within the openings 34.

- From the foregoing it will be apparent that the present deviceprovides a scraper structure which is normally rigid in a horizontalplane. but wherein the scraper blade readily may be adjustedtransversely of the frame. The angular position of the scraper also maybe readily changed. and the predetermined pressure of the blade upon theroad surface may he adinsted from the drivers seat bv rotation of thehand wheels 64, the drivers seat being located in the usual position,and supported by the side rails 23. It also will be apparent that thedriver of the tractor readily may elevate the scraper from the roadwithout leaving his seat, by rotating the hand wheels 64.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown anddescribed is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and thatvarious changes in the shape,, size and arrangement of parts may beresorted to without departing from the spirit of thanvention or thescope of the subjoined claims.

We claim:

1. A device of the character described comprising a frame pivotallyconnected at its forward end to the rear end of a supporting andpropelling vehicle to swing in a vertical plane, a depending scrapermounted substantially transversely of said frame beneath the other endthereof, means for connecting said scraper to said frame to permit it tobe adjusted thereon toward and away'from the vehicle, and means foradjusting said scraper transversely with respect to said frame.

2. A device of the "character described comprising a frame pivotallyconnected at its forward end to the rear end of a supporting andpropelling vehicle to swing in a verticalplane, a. depending scrapermounted substantially transversely of said frame beneath ,the other endthereof, means for connecting said scraper to said frame to permit it tobe adjusted thereon toward and away from the vehicle. and means fortransversely adjusting said scraper with respect to said framecomprising a rack and a rotatable worm meshing therewith carriedrespectively by said scraper and said frame.

3. A deviceof the character described comprising a frame pivotallyconnected at its forward end to the rear end of a supporting andpropelling vehicle to swing in a vertical plane. said frame including apair of longitudinal side members. a support slidably mounted on each ofsaid side members, means for retaining said supports in selectedpositions on saidside members, and a scraper connected to said supports.

4. A device of the character described comprising a frame pivotallyconnected at its forward end to the rear end of a supporting andpropelling vehicle to swing in a vertical plane. said frame including apair of longitudinal side members, a support slidably mounted. on eachof said side members, means for retaining said supports in selectedpositions on said side members, each of said supports including adepending portion having an opening extending therethrough, a scrapenanda rod carried by said scraper and slidably mounted in said openings,said openings being enlarged transversely with respect to said rod andlongitudinally with respect to said frame whereby said scraper isadapted to swing to a limited extent in a horizontal plane, the upperportion of said scraper engaging a portion of each of said supports tohold said scraper in upright position.

5. A device constructed in accordance with claim 4 provided with meansforsliding said scraper transversely with respect to said frame.

6. A device constructed in accordance with claim 4 provided with a rackcarried by said scraper and extending transversely of said frame, and aworm meshing with said rack and rotatable to slide said scrapertransversely with respect to said frame.

7 A device of the character described comprising a frame pivotallyconnected at opposite sides of its forward end to the rear end of asupporting and propelling vehicle to swing in a vertical plane, saidframe including a pair of longitudinal side members, a support slidablyconnected at its upper end to each of said side members and dependingtherefrom, means for retaining said sup orts in selectedpositions onsaid side mem ers, a scraper carried by said supports and adjustablethereon transversely with respect to said frame, spring means normallyurgin said frame downwardly to maintain sai scraper in contact with thesurface being worked, and means movable in one direction to increase thetension of said springs and in the opposite direction to elevate saidframe. g

8. A device constructed in accordance with claim 7 wherein said lastnamed means comprises a rocker arm arranged over each side of said frameand pivotally connected to the vehicle, said rocker arms contacting withsaid spring means, and means for connecting said rocker arms to saidframe whereby movement of said rocker arms in one direction is adaptedto elevate said frame.

0. P. MAHONEY. JOHN R. KEY.

